Reading

LanguageCert Academic Reading: the five parts and how to prepare

Every part of LanguageCert Academic Reading: the texts, how many questions and options, what each part assesses and how to prepare for it, in tables.

By Certyar1 November 20264 min read

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LanguageCert Academic Reading takes 50 minutes: 5 parts and 30 questions, all marked by computer. This article goes through what each part asks and how to prepare for it, from the official exam page and LanguageCert's own Reading video.

Reading at a glance

Part	Text	What you do	Questions	Options
1a	Six separate sentences	Choose the word that replaces the highlighted one with no change in meaning	6	4
1b	A short text	Fill five gaps	5	3
2	A text with six sentences removed	Put each back from a choice of eight; two aren't used	6	8
3	Four short texts (A–D) on a common theme	Write the letter of the text each question refers to	7	4
4	A long text with academic argumentation	Answer multiple-choice questions	6	4
Total			30

What each part assesses

In its Reading video, LanguageCert lists the section's aims in the order of the parts:

Part	What it assesses
1a	Vocabulary in academic texts: identifying synonyms and using words in context
1b	Vocabulary and grammatical features of academic texts
2	How meaning is built up in longer texts, and awareness of text organisation
3	The purpose of different texts, and scanning to locate specific information
4	Long, complex texts: opinion, purpose, argumentation, exemplification, comparison and contrast, cause and effect, and locating specific information

Parts 1a and 1b: words and grammar

In Part 1a you have six sentences, each with a highlighted word or phrase. Choose, from four options, the one that replaces it with no change in meaning. A word from the same family isn't enough: it has to mean the same in that sentence.

In Part 1b you have a short text with five gaps and three options for each. Meaning and grammar both count here: check prepositions, verb forms and collocations.

Part 2: removed sentences

Six sentences have been removed from a text, and you put each back from a choice of eight. Two of the eight aren't used. The clues are in the sentences either side of each gap: pronouns (this, they, such), linkers (however, as a result) and an idea carried on.

Part 3: four texts, seven questions

You have four short texts on a common theme, labelled A, B, C and D. For each question, say which text has the information by writing its letter. The questions usually say what a text says in other words: look for the meaning, not a repeated word.

Part 4: a long argumentative text

A long academic text with argument, examples and comparison, and six four-option questions. They are often about the writer's opinion, a paragraph's purpose or a cause and its effect. Read the question first, then read the part of the text it's about closely.

How to prepare, part by part

Part	What to practise
1a	Learn common academic words with their synonyms in sentences, not on their own.
1b	Practise the collocations and prepositions common in academic texts.
2	In academic texts, follow pronouns and linkers to see which earlier sentence each one connects to.
3	Practise scanning: know what you're looking for before you read.
4	Read opinion pieces and write one sentence per paragraph: what is the writer doing here?
All	Plan your time: 50 minutes for 30 questions, and Part 4's text is the longest.

Your Reading score

Reading is marked by computer and reported on the 0–100 Global Scale. The details are in how LanguageCert Academic is marked.

Practising Reading on Certyar

Certyar's Reading practice has all five parts, with the same number of questions and options, and once you send your answers you see an explanation (in Persian) of each question.

Certyar is an independent preparation site, not affiliated with LanguageCert. For the official details, see LanguageCert Academic's page.